Sunday, March 2, 2008

My first goal for this year's February is for Finishing was these long-suffering bunny slippers from the Happy Hooker. One has been made for a year and a half, just waiting for a mate. So here it is. It's made out of Naturally Yarns "Sensation" which is an angora/merino blend and plenty fuzzy without the mohair strand. I added extra rounds to the ankle piece and changed all single crochets to half-double crochets to get some very needed height. These slippers will not stay on my feet as originally written. The other weird thing was that the second slipper came out too big, so I had to rip back the upper and sole until it fit my foot.

I know the eyes are crooked. I don't care.

eternity cardi

I started this cardigan in March 2006, driven by a desire to take the edge off Sockapaloooza and a low price for Lana Gatto Ontario that promised a full cardigan for $30. It took maybe three months to knit the pieces - I seem to remember knitting and marking essays, and I definitely remember doing one of the fronts during a Meet the Teacher Night. Then, once it was done and summer arrived, it lingered. I put all the pieces in a bag for safe keeping. I got a new job. I bought a house. I moved. I sewed one whole seam right before a crazy-hot Thanksgiving that had me putting away the wool for awhile. And now, goaded by NaKniSewMo and my desire to CO for a Noro vest, I finally finished this simple little cardi.

Now that it's done, the collar kind of looks like a tumorous mass. I can't tell if it's my sewing or the fabric to blame. Also, I didn't put on the ribbon closures because it seemed dumb. for now, I'm using a 1" Bridesmaidmania 3 pin to close it, but will come up with something more dignified shortly. My knitsibs can't believe that I've never finished a sweater before. I'm just glad that I finished this one.

blurry but more-or-less accuratepay no attention to the muffintop

123: loopy hemp pillow

When I asked Sister Silver what she would like me to knit her, she quickly decided on a loopy pillow. As it was beastly hot in the valley, I found a beautiful hemp (All Hemp 6) in the exact colour of her couch throw. What I didn't realize was that hemp is rough as hell on the hands, especially if you're fiddling with it to make loops. The knitting dragged. My hands chapped. I started to watch episodes of Lost while knitting it, thinking that an hour a week was enough. And then, once I got a square, I figured out that I didn't get gauge and my square didn't match the pillow form. Grr.

I ended up picking out the cast-off, knitting more rows, then binding off and picking up stitches along the side, log-cabin style to make this panel fit the pillow form. Exhausting. I threw it in the washer/dryer to soften it up, which it did, beautifully. It’s backed with fabric from Ikea because i couldn’t face the idea of buying a third skein. True to form, handstitching the back to the front took more than 6 months as it went hibernating for a long time.

Now that it’s done I have the damndest case of Stockholm Syndrome: it looks so good with my colour scheme that I may need to make another. But not of hemp, goddammit.

Friday, February 29, 2008

Lucky it is a Leap Year. I needed the extra day to finish up, but the mittens are done and warming the hands of my friend.

These are knit from Knit Picks Elegance, alpaca and silk. The color is lilac, and it took just a bit over two skeins I used 3 mm DPNs. The pattern is from Ann Budd's Handy Book of Patterns, and I modified the thumb to make it less tight (by using the instructions for the next size up).

This may not seem like much, but it clears my slate a bit to return to some bigger sweater WIPs. So March will also be for some additional finishing.

Sunday, February 24, 2008

Unlike last year, I didn't have too many UFOs left, although there are several WIPs that need attention. My major objective was to fulfill a promise for a Christmas gift. I ran out of time, and just left the recipient with a promise. My intent was to make a pair of Norwegian gloves from Heilo in my stash, but I was not getting gauge. As the time passed, I thought I might substitute a pair of socks, but my stash yarn wasn't looking good after swatching. I still wasn't getting gauge. Ordinarily, this doesn't bother me too much, but I didn't have time to fiddle with the pattern to make it work.

So, instead, I embarked on a simpler pair of mittens, made from Knit Picks Elegance.

I completed the thumb gusset on one last night, and I'm sure to have these done by Friday.

Thursday, March 1, 2007

This has been fantastic, guys! I'm going to figure out some kind of symbol to mark those of us who finished all our projects this month (not me, I'm afraid!) So let me know if you're earning your big 'F' for finishing!

I'm pretty sure that I'll need this again next year, so don't worry too much if you slip into old habits...I'll be there right along with you, avoiding sewing.

Or is it five? I set out to work on Lady E, not finish her, so I suppose she's one for the record books too. I finished the collar on the not-so-cowl of doom last night, a nice roll neck that I'm really happy with. I'm wearing it right now but haven't had decent light or anyone to take a pic yet so I should be back to post that tomorrow sometime. It's nothing like the pattern picture led me to believe it would be (seriously, who photographs a sweater with the model's arms crossed over her chest?) but I love it anyway, the fit is really flattering. Many thanks to the ladies at SnB for assuring me that it would be fine when I was sure it would be better off in a pile of crinkly yarn on the shop floor.

The FA mitts, mom socks and Rutelilje were my other FO's for the KAL with the seamless hybrid, dad's socks and Lady E still on the needles. I am proud though that I didn't work on anything but the items on my list for the whole month, not even an errant swatch!

What a wonderful way to motivate us to get to those UFOs! I now realize that all I have to do is apply a little time and Voila! magically those projects seem to finish themselves. Thanks for hosting such a productive KAL.

February is for Finishing (NaKniSewMo)

NaKniSewMo?

...or National Knitting Sew-up Month. This Knit Along is for knitters like me who love the knitting but dread the finishing. In the style of NaNoWriMo, let's shed the guilt and finish the projects in the shortest month of the year.